The Fairytale and the Legend
by Radella Hardwick
Summary: Lady Katherine has just been ransomed back from pirates and is staying with her middle class cousins. Peter comes to take them for a trip to his home land. Romance ensues. DISCONTINUED!
1. Prologue

I am much indebted to Mr Barrie. He created Wendy Darling who, in turn, created me. People have told me that J. M. Barrie created Neverland and all its inhabitants and then created Wendy to explain it all, but I remain unconvinced.

But I am still more grateful to this amateur authoress, who now sets pen to paper. She allows me to inhabit a more adult world, for she is writing for neither a London audience nor children.

Wendy Darling is a great storyteller, but she tells fairytales. This authoress does not, which means the villain is not obligated to end unhappily.

I am convinced that you must know the story of when Peter Pan introduced Wendy, Johnathan and Michael Darling to Neverland.

We enter shortly before that infernal boy's return.


	2. First Chapter

"So then! The dastardly pirate captain turns to face them and says, 'if that's the best you've got, you better start praying'. 'No, _you_ e the one who should be praying, for your black soul,' cried our heroine and rushed at the pirate." Sword in hand, Wendy ran towards the opposite wall. In one quick movement, Katherine grabbed up the other sword and stood up into her cousin's path. As their swords meet, the group's imagination transforms Katherine into the pirate captain. Now, as both young women were excellent swordsmen, it was quite some time before the story recommenced. When it did, of course, the heroine gained the upper hand and, finally, killed the pirate captain. The young lady collapsed to the floor, Wendy's sword jammed between her ribs and her arm, to great acclaim from the boys and Nanny.

Just as they had agreed that it was bedtime and the girls were about to leave the nursery, the window was flung wide and in flew that pesky forest sprite, Peter Pan.  
Katherine shrank back against the door-frame, like most of her species, she has a fear of the unknown.  
Who was this boy, who had just flown in? And that was another thing, how could he fly?

"Peter!" cried Wendy in childish delight.

'_Peter? Surely not... Peter Pan?_' thought Katherine incredulously. She had been gone for four years, but, on the very first night of her visit, Wendy had told her all about their adventures in Neverland.

"And who be this?" asked Peter, swooping down on her.

"Oh, that's our cousin, Katherine," John told him.

"Lady Katherine Hambragh and you are?" she said, coolly, and held out a hand.

"I'm Peter Pan, King of Neverland," he laughed, grabbed her by her hand and flew through the air with her, before depositing her on Michael's bed. I think, I hardly need tell you that our star was less than impressed.

"Now, who fancies a trip to Neverland?" Peter asked, excitedly.

"_Pe_-_ter_..." said Wendy, warningly.

"Just a short trip. Just to see how it's all changed. One last trip, before you're too old."

"OK. Just one, short trip, then," Wendy conceded.

"So... how are we going to get there?" Katherine asked, somewhat self-consciously.

"We fly! Remember?" yelled Michael, joyfully.

"Here," said Peter and gently shook Tinkerbell over Katherine's head.

"You have to think happy thoughts and they lift you into the air," John said, excitedly. She thought of her past adventures, but nothing happened, and then she thought of Carla and she shot up into the air.

_**KR**_

Once they were all airbourne, Peter led the way out through the window. They flew through a multitude of colours and Katherine could have touched stars, if she had cared to reach out her hand.  
Suddenly, they were careening around gold-edged, pink clouds. Peter was leading them down towards his forest home, when a cannon ball screamed through the air between Peter and Michael's heads.

"Come on!" called Pan and dived for the pirate ship.

"I thought, you said, that Hook was dead," Katherine yelled, over her shoulder, to her cousins.

"I thought he was," responded Wendy, but then they were flying in air that was thick with cannon and musket balls.  
Katherine swooped down to the ship's deck and picked up a fallen sword, but she had to land, to use it. A couple of minutes later, Wendy was fighting shoulder-to- shoulder with her.

"Look, at the two little girlies all on their own," leered a voice from behind them. The pair turned as one and ran him through together.

"I think, it's a tad too hairy to stay down here. Come on," said Wendy, soaring into the air. Katherine took a deep breath and leapt into the air, too. She fought back three or four pirates and then flew over to the poop deck, where the other four were battling. There, by the helm, exchanging blows with Pan, was Hook. He was everything Wendy had said and, to Katherine's more mature eye, much more. She dived into the fray and, a few minutes later, she came face-to-face with the pirate captain. Instead of clashing swords with him, she circled round him and plucked the large hat from Hook's head, which she then donned, careful to catch up her plait.

"Oi! You filthy, little gutter-snipe!" cried Hook in outrage.

"Gutter-snipe?! I'm not a gutter-snipe, I just like the hat." The pirate captain paused and surveyed the young woman before him.  
Katherine's hair was much darker than Wendy's, more like Marmite than honey. Her skin was also darker, tanned from many long hours working under the African sun. She struck an odd figure in her nightgown and his plumed, burgundy hat with a cutlass in her right hand.

"Well, I suppose, it does suit you," he admitted with his most charming smile. Then he lunged at her. "But I demand its return." The pair fought hard, they were both gifted fighters.

After several passes, Peter called for everyone to leave. Katherine was about to follow the others, but Captain Hook tried to retrieve his hat again. She turned back and fought him off. Then she flew out over the water, but had barely gone ten feet from the ship, when she started to descend. She was unable to fathom it, she was still exuberant from the sword fight. It was then that she noticed that Wendy, John and Michael were also dropping. Suddenly, Katherine was dropping like a stone as were the Darling children. Peter dived after Wendy, not that Katherine noticed as she plunged into the sea. She tried to swim, but it was impossible in her calico nightdress.  
As hard as she struggled for the surface, her water-logged attire dragged her down. Just as her strength was about to fail her; strong, warm arms closed around her. The man swam with her to the ship and, once safely aboard, Katherine passed out.


	3. Second Chapter

**A/N: You asked for it, so here it is.  
To 'All the Pretty Horses', as this is centred on the romance, I'm probably not going to explain why they dropped.**

Katherine woke to find fingers of golden light receding from the room, it was evidently evening. She next turned her attention to the room itself, which was quite small and contained only three pieces of furniture. There was the bunk she was currently sat on, a mahogany writing desk and a chair before it. It was then that she noticed she was dressed in a satin nightgown, she blushed at the thought of one of the pirates having seen her unclad. The hat, however, was gone, without a trace, and her actual night attire was also absent.

Katherine tried the door handle and found, to her immense surprise and relief, that it was unlocked. She made her way along the passage beyond, until she reached a door bearing a plaque with the captain's name upon it. Before pushing the door wide enough to admit her, Katherine tapped lightly. On the other side of the door sat Captain James Hook at his pianoforte. As she entered, he turned and smiled at her.

"Ah, my siren is awake," he extolled with a seductive smirk. "And may I be so bold as to ask your name?"

"Oh, of course, I do apologise. It had slipped my mind that you were still ignorant of it, My name is... Karishka Rasmae."

"Is it indeed?" he said, disbelief and sarcasm flowing from every phoneme. "I've heard of Karishka Rasmae, six foot tall with golden waves for hair." He surveyed her straight, dark hair and slight stature critically, but not unappreciatively.

"This would be the same Karishka Rasmae that was Paris' and the Queen of the Iceni?" she said, sardonically, with a look that said 'how stupid are you?' marring her mildly pretty face. Hook laughed and waved her in to the room proper, she had lurking in the doorway.

"My apologies, Miss Rasmae," said the captain with a gallant smile. "Would you care to join me for dinner?" he offered, pulling out the chair at the foot of the table for her.

"Why, thank you, captain," she said with a gentle smile, taking the proffered seat. He pushed in her chair, went to the door, shouted for Smee, shut the door and, finally, took the seat at the far end of the table, so that he was facing her.

"Now! I have a proposition for you." She held up a hand to stop him.

"I prefer not to discuss business over the dinner table, it tends to ruin the meal, if it ends badly for one or more of the parties involved." James Hook laughed, purely out of merriment, for the first time since coming to Neverland.

"So, what _shall_ we talk of?" he asked in a light and teasing tone.

"You could tell me a tale of one of your _dastardly_ deeds that will make my blood run cold," she teased back.

"I'm no great storyteller," he chuckled, but there was a somewhat wistful look in his eye. "Did she ever tell you of when I entertained _her_ to dinner?"

"Of course! What account of their trip to Neverland would be complete without it?" She smiled softly, but, before either of them could say another word, Smee entered with a tray balanced on each palm and elbow.  
There was a succulent joint of beef to be served with golden roast potatoes and a rainbow of steamed vegetables. There was, also, a pitcher of gravy, but both let it be. As for rinks, Smee filled their water glasses nearly to the brim and then produced a bottle of the darkest wine Katherine had ever seen, when poured, it looked more purple than red.

"That will be all, thank you, Smee," said Hook, waving his old retainer out, and his guest smiled gratefully. She then took a large gulp of water, not having had anything but sea water to drink since dinner at the Darling house.

_The oak dining table shone like bronze in the light of innumerable candles._

"_I'm amazed you can afford to have so many candles all alight at the same time," remarked Katherine in the, falsely polite, tone of one who knows they will receive the same level of hospitality, regardless how rude they are._

"_Oh, we can afford it," Mrs Darling told her, lightly as though what the younger woman had just said did not bother her in the slightest. "George is about to be promoted." She smiled proudly at her husband._

"_Indeed?" enquired their guest, sceptically. "You'll forgive me, if I reserve my congratulations until after the event." They all knew she was right, George Darling had been a clerk for so long that there was no guarantee of his actually being promoted, but he needed it. If Wendy was to be married well, her father had to hold a higher position than bank clerk._

"_Are your parents going to be spending the winter season in town?" asked Mrs Darling, changing the subject swiftly but slightly._

"_Of course. So, I shall be off your hands soon," she said, lightly, a smile on her lips._

"_I was wondering if your mother would be so kind as to introduce Wendy to society. I move so little in the sort of company where balls are attended that I would not know quite where to take her."_

"_She could hardly have her coming out ball in the company __**we**__ keep!" exclaimed Katherine, shocked. "You must know that a girl having her début takes presidence, that position could __**hardly**__ go to a girl of such low standing." She was amazed by their lack of a grasp of society's rules. "But, I believe, the Hutchinsons are having a ball in two weeks time, to open the season. They would be able to give Wendy her début. I'll write to them about inviting you," she said and took a sip of wine._

"_Thank you, Katherine," said Mrs Darling, gratefully, even though it was painfully embarrassing for her to have to seek the help of her cousin's daughter to introduce her own daughter into society._

"May I help you to the beef?" offered the captain, startling her out of her thoughts, as he stood and picked up the carving knife.

"Thank you," she smiled and then nodded once he had placed the knife so as to give her, what she thought was, a sufficient portion. He, however, evidently disagreed and increased the width of her slice by about 3mm. She laughed and excepted the meat with good graces. As he was serving himself, she took a sip of wine and choked on it.

"Is the wine not to your liking?" he politely asked, trying to suppress the amusement in his voice, having just watched her force down the wine and then take a large sip of water to rinse her mouth.

"Too dang sweet! Please excuse my language, but that is the sweetest and, therefore, most disgusting wine I have ever tasted."

"Really? It is my favourite." He looked so crestfallen that Katherine quickly back-tracked.

"I'm sure it's lovely, if you like that sort of wine, but it's wasted on me, because I don't."

"Well, I suppose, that just means that there is more for me. However, I'm sure there must be a Cabernet or Merlot that you would prefer, in Smee's wine store." The captain crossed to the cabin door and threw it wide, Smee, who had been standing on the other side, leapt about three feet and banged his head on the ceiling.

"Was there anything you were wanting, cap'n?" he asked, a tad too loudly.

"Yes, a bottle of sourer wine, for my guest," yelled Hook. The old man nodded, as though his superior had spoken in a reasonable tone, and scuttled off. "He has become increasingly deaf since my sojourn in that infernal creature," he explained with rising venom.

"May I apologise, on behalf of my cousins? It is one of those things that makes me ashamed of our connection."

"Perhaps, but _you_ have nothing to apologise for. How is Wendy? The battle was too brief for me to ascertain this for myself," he cordially explained. Katherine noted with interest that he only thought of Wendy, when her cousins were mentioned.

"She is in good health, poor spirits. Her parents expect her to be the perfect young lady, which she isn't. Poor Wendy, she will be married to a banker or lawyer," she said, sorrowfully.

"And what of you?" asked the formidable captain, conversationally, as Smee came back in and dealt with her wine.

"My father is a duke, so I'll probably be married to a marquess or some earl's second son. Whatever, I will be married within the aristocracy, whereas Wendy and her mother have the gentry to choose from."

"And do either of you have your eye on someone?" he asked, nonchalantly, before taking a bite of potato. "That will be all, Smee," he shouted and waved the old man out.

"Not particularly," she answered with a grin. "I, of course, have a gaggle of admirers. There are one or two who I would prefer being married to over the others, but there is no-one I particularly care for. As for Wendy, darling, she has yet to come out and has, therefore, not entered into this great game."

"You call balls and finding a suitable position, a _game_?" Hook asked, incredulously.

"Of course. My feelings matter not, I am merely going to pass from the ownership of my father into the firm clutches of a husband," she sighed in resignation and polished off her vegetables.

"I have obviously been out of the world too long," he said, rather mournfully. "I hadn't realised that women were treated like chattels. When I was a young man, their views were, at least, respected and taken in to account."

"Were you ever _young_?" Katherine asked with the hint of a laugh.

"_I_ did not spring fully formed from your cousin's imagination. I was human once," he told her, sorrowfully, gazing off into his past.

"You're still human," she said, sincerely, laying down her knife and fork.

"Am I?" he asked, wearily. She got up from her seat, walked down the length of the table and got down upon her knees by his chair.

"Yes... you... _are_," she said, slowly, emphasising each word, injecting them with as much sincerity as she was able. "She hasn't yet made you story enough to stop you being a man."

"Sometimes, I wish she would. I don't want to remember any more," he admitted in a tired voice. "You know how those fat, Catholic priests speak of purgatory?" Katherine nodded, slowly. "Well, this is it. Reliving all your past thoughts, words and deeds in dreams every night and being surrounded by incompetent fools everyday, what could be worse punishment for my sins?" But then his mood and demeanour lightened as he reached out and stroked her face. "But, perhaps, no more. That's what I wanted to ask you, will you stay here, as one of my pirates?"

"Will I give up corsets and marriage for a life of pleasure? Of course!" she exclaimed in delight.

"I'm not sure about the corsets."

"I can't work in a dress!"

"That doesn't mean I won't want to see you in one, though." He was smirking at her wickedly, but she just laughed.

They spent the rest of the evening in companionable silence, each reading and thinking by turns.


End file.
